Works of Joseph Hall, Section 6
SECTION VI. That the other Opinions of the Romiſh Church will not admit Reconciliation.
BVt let vsus bee ſo liberall, as to grant this to our ſelues, which certainely they will neuer grant vsus; for, this olde Grandame of Cities thinkes her ſelfe borne to command, and will either fall, or rule: Neyther doth that Mitred Moderator of the World affect any other Embleme than that, which Iulian ieſtingly aſcribes to Iulius Caeſar (foreign) To rule all;Iulian. Caeſares. or to Alexander the Great (foreign) to conquer all; It was a degenerating ſpirit of Adrian the Sixt, which cauſed to bee written vponupon his Tombe,Binius in vita Adrian. in the Church of Saint Peter; That nothing in all his life fell out ſo vnhappily to him,Socrat. l. 5. c. 20. &c. 14. as that he gouerned: Let this, I ſay, be granted vsus; There want not (I know) ſome milder ſpirits (Theodoſians, that can play with both hands) which thinke, if theſe buſie points were by the moderation of both parts quietly compoſed, it might bee ſafe for any man (ſo it be without noyſe) to thinke what hee liſt, concerning the other differences of Religion: Theſe are the Ghoſts of that Heretike Appelles, whoſe ſpeech it was,Euſeb. l. 5. c. 13. ex Ro…n…. That it is ſufficient to beleeue in Chriſt crucified, and that there ſhould bee no diſcuſſing of the particular warrants and reaſon of our faith: Or the brood of Leonas, one of the courtiers of Conſtantius, Socrat. l. 2. c. 32.and his Deputie in the Seleucian Councell, which when the Fathers hotely contended, as there was good cauſe, for the Conſubſtantialitie of the Sonne: Get you home, ſaid hee, and trouble not the Church ſtill with theſe trifles. Saint Baſil was of another minde, from theſe men; who (as Theodoret reports) when the Lieutenant of Valens the Emperor,Theodor. l…. c. 27. perſwaded him to remit but one letter for peace ſake, anſwered, Thoſe that are nurſed with the ſincere Milke of Gods Word, may not abide one ſillable of his ſacred Truth to be corrupted; but rather than they will indure it, are ready to receiue any kinde of torment, or death. El…ſius and Syluanus, which were Orthodox Biſhops, and thoſe other worthy Gardians, and (as Athanaſius his title was) Champions of the truth, were of another minde from theſe coole and indifferent Mediators:Epiph. l. 1. Initio: foreign. Cypr. de ſimplic. praelat. foreign. So farre as the Sacred truth will allow vsus, wee will accompany them gladly; but if they vrge vsus further, wee ſtand ſtill, or ſtart backe; and thoſe two courſes, which Epiphanius aduiſed, as the remedies of Hereſie (Heed, and Auoydance) both thoſe doe we carefully vſe, and performe. Great is the offence of diſcord, and vnexpiable; and ſuch, in the graue iudgement of Cyprian, as is not purged with the bloud of our paſſion; and iuſtly doe we thinke that Fiend of Homer, worthy of no place but Hell. But yet, wee cannot thinke concord a meete price of truth; which it is lawfull for vsus to buy at any rate, but to ſell vponupon any termes, is no leſſe than p…cular.
Let vsus therefore a little diſcuſſe the ſeuerall differences, and (as it vſes to bee done, when the houſe is too little for the ſtuffe) Let vsus pile vp all cloſe together. It ſhall bee enough in this large Harueſt of matter, to gather ſome few Eares out of eueryevery Shocke, and to make a compendious diſpatch of ſo long a taske:foreign. The groſſeſt of the Popiſh Hereſies, and (as HIEROME obiects to ORIGEN) the moſt venomous opinions of Rome, which hauehave bred ſo much trouble and danger at this day, to the Church of God, are either ſuch as doe concerne our ſelues, not without ſome …ſpect to God; or ſuch as concerne God, not without ſome reſpect to vsus: Of the former ſort are thoſe, which in a certaine order (ſuch as it is) of diſcourſe, are conuerſant about Iuſtification, Free-will, the merit of our workes, humane ſatisfaction, Indulgences, Purgatory, and the differences of mortall and Veniall ſinnes: Theſe therefore firſt offer themſelues to our examination.